Back For Now
by Bucken-Berry
Summary: George returns to the one-six and reflects on the changes that have occurred.


A/N: Someone told me BD Wong tweeted that he's coming back! So I had to write a quick ficlet. Soon I may write a pre-ep about how I want it to go even though it won't. LOL. I still like George's character despite the crap that got pulled in February so I'm excited. :)

* * *

He walks in to the 16th precinct, smiling faintly as he looks at everything around him. Just like old times.

It isn't just like old times, though. Of course it isn't. Elliot isn't there anymore and two detectives have taken his place. Alex and Casey are back.

He himself is transitioning out of the field, which is why he hasn't seen them for so long. He had joined the FBI in the first place to study serial killers, and while he is still interested, he's also getting older and age catches up with everyone. He had been in his early thirties when he'd graduated from Quantico, and he had been assigned to the one-six a few years after that. Now he's forty-nine years old, and FBI policy says that he'll have to hand in his badge in in eight years.

But for now, he still does a mix of both; he spent the last year in Quantico and will return there when he's helped the caseload in New York, until he's needed again. He'll be teaching agents full time in two years, and will ride out the time until he's forced to hang it up. If all goes according to plan, he'll go into private practice then, but it's still so far off and he isn't thinking about much beyond transitioning to Quantico.

In the meantime, a case with a frenzied child murderer had caused the FBI to call him back a little early. And now he's back where he had spent so much of his career.

He looks around the hallway again and enters the squad room. Olivia, Fin, and- he assumes- Detectives Amaro and Rollins are standing over the board, looking at pictures of the victims and the crime scenes.

Smiling softly, he walks forward. He clears his throat and says, "Hello."

Olivia pauses and then turns to look at him. She grins once she registers that it's him. "Doc! Good to see you again."

"Good to be back," he says. "And hello to you, Fin."

"Hey, Doc," Fin says, nodding.

"We haven't met," George continues, looking at Amaro and Rollins. "I'm Doctor George Huang, FBI. I used to be on loan here until a year ago. Now I only come by on a case-by-case basis." He reaches his arm out and shakes hands with the two new detectives.

"Amanda Rollins," Amanda says.

"Nick Amaro," Nick says.

"Nice to meet you," George says.

He gives a sad, sympathetic smile to Olivia. "I heard about what happened with Elliot. I'm sorry. I tried to get him into a therapy session with me after the shooting, but even when IAB forced him, he wouldn't agree and went to another psychologist instead. That's the last I heard from him. Sadly, what he did to you was very common for that situation."

"Yeah," Olivia says, grimacing. "Anyway, think you an tell us anything about this guy?"

George knows not to challenge Olivia changing the subject, not just yet at least. Maybe later, probably not. And the kids come first.

He looks at the board, disgusted at the things that happened to the children in the pictures. "The attacks appear very disorganized," he says, thinking aloud. "Perhaps not in a psychotic break, but it is quite possible that your suspect is suffering from hallucinations or delusions. Possibly command hallucinations that strike at random, hence the disorganized pattern and abundance of forensic evidence."

He pauses before continuing. He looks at the detectives and muses how things have changed so much in the last year, for himself but for Olivia most of all. She had been so young and strong when he had first been assigned here, but now much of her energy seems dissipated. She still seems strong, but vulnerable and tired at the same time. He knows her partner- the only man she had been able to trust deeply- leaving had to have been a huge blow.

Suddenly he feels a little guilty, for not having been here during Olivia's tough time. He knows he has to think of his own career, but at the same time, Olivia had been through a lot in the last year and he could have helped.

Too late now, he thinks sadly. All he can do is try to make up for it while he's here. And maybe he can catch up with Fin and the others and get to know Amaro and Rollins. He isn't as much a part of the team as he used to be, but maybe friendship is still on the table.

He remembers his first case here; it had been an afterthought, really, because his main job had been setting up VICAP in New York. It was only because the detectives needed a profiler and he had been busy at the time that he had come at all, and then the fit had been so good- despite the tension with the detectives, Benson and Stabler in particular- that he had stayed, juggling New York special victims cases with the more urgent and confidential FBI ones. He remembers almost being killed by Matthew Brodus and the arguments with Stabler he had had throughout- and shortly after- the case.

He remembers the day Alex Cabot had died- or so they were told- and meeting Casey Novak. He remembers the Walker case, and the screaming match he had with Detective Stabler. He remembers Alex coming back, his shock and joy that his respected colleague and friend wasn't dead after all. He remembers Casey getting herself censured and when Alex had switched back to Special Victims.

He remembers so many things about the people of the Special Victims Unit, both good and bad. He misses it and, at the same time, is relieved not to be here full-time anymore. Handing the torch over to the new agents at Quantico is bittersweet.

"Well," he thinks, "I'll still be here for a little while."

George looks at the pictures again, wheels in his brain turning, and continues to work out the profile.

Things aren't the same as they were, but he's ready for the changes. Whether this is the last case he works with this unit, or whether he works with them almost as much as he had when he had first been assigned here, until he transfers to Quantico, he's happy to be back.

Sighing silently, he continues to build his profile for the detectives.


End file.
